Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wall mounted back brushes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wall-mounted back brush having a base with bristles disposed on a front surface and having an attachment means for securing said base to a wall or similar surface. The back brush further comprises nodules that can be removably secured to grooves disposed on the front surface of the base. A user may press into the massage nodules in order to massage the user's back or otherwise relieve tension. The back brush can be mounted to a door by means of a plurality of elastic loops having an anchor thereon. The loops are threaded through apertures on the base of the back brush and the anchors secure the loops therein.
Many people find it difficult to wash, scratch, or massage their own backs without assistance from another person. Further, many people like to have their back massaged or scratched, but may be unable to adequately reach all portions of their back. In order to reach various locations on a person's back, the person must twist his or her body and strain his or her arms. This may be uncomfortable and may not allow the person to release tension in the person's back. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a device that allows a user to easily scrub and massage the user's back without assistance from a third-party.
Hand-held back brushes are known in the art and comprise a handle having a head with bristles disposed thereon. The hand-held back brush can be used to extend the user's reach such that the user is better able to reach all areas of the user's upper and lower back. Hand-held brushes, however, still require a user to stretch and twist to reach various areas of the back. Further, the hand-held brushes have a relatively small surface area such that only small regions of the back are contacted by the bristles at any given time. Lastly, the hand-held device requires the user to hold the device and thus limits the user's ability to use his or her hands for other purposes. Thus, a device is desired that allows a person to easily massage, scratch, or scrub his or her back in a hands-free manner.
The present invention provides a wall-mounted back brush comprising a base having a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of bristles are disposed on the front surface and extend outward therefrom. The base further includes an attachment means that allows the base to be secured to a wall or similar surface. The attachment means may include suction cups. The attachment means may also include elastic loops having anchors disposed thereon that are adapted to wrap around the corners of a door. The base comprises one or more grooves adapted to receive massage nodules having various shapes, such as hemispheres or cones. The massage nodules can be removably secured to the grooves and allow a user to press their backs into the nodules to massage the user's back or to relieve tension.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to wall-mounted back brushes. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to wall-mounted back brushes for use in a shower. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,165 to Westberry et al. entitled “Wall Mount Bath Brush and Method” which discloses a back brush having a plate portion with securing means on the back surface, such as suction cups, for attachment to a wall. The device further includes a plurality of clusters of bristles on the front surface. The device as disclosed may be provided in a variety of shapes such as rectangular, oval, or octagonal. Westberry, however, fails to disclose a wall mounted back brush having grooves adapted to receive nodules that can be used to massage a user's back. Further, Westberry does not disclose the use of elastic cables to attach the back brush to a door. Additionally, Westberry fails to disclose a back brush composed of a flexible material that can be rolled up into a compact configuration for storage or travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,907 to Doggwiler entitled “Shower Wall Back Scrubber and Massager” discloses a back scrubber for use in the shower that is able to removably attach to a wall. The back scrubber has a means for establishing fluid connection with the shower head such that water can flow through the back scrubber. Doggwiler does not disclose a back scrubber having grooves and removable nodules for massaging a user's back, and does not disclose elastic cables for attaching the back scrubber to a door. Instead, Doggwiler discloses the use of the back scrubber only in a shower or bathtub.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,281 to Simon entitled “Wall Mounted Bath Brush” discloses a bath brush that can be removably attached to a wall in a shower. The device comprises a frame having an opening in the middle, wherein bristles extend from the frame into the interior area. In this way, a person may stand in the interior area of the frame, and clean themselves by moving their body against the bristles. Thus, Simon does not disclose a back brush having a flat base that attaches to a wall, and instead discloses a frame that extends outward from the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,029 to Letts entitled “Back Washing Assembly” discloses a scrubbing apparatus having a base adapted to secure to a shower wall, and a scrubbing portion that faces outwardly from the shower wall. The scrubbing portion comprises sponges and covers over said sponges. The scrubbing portion further comprises scrubbing pads. Therefore, Letts does not disclose a scrubbing device having a plurality of bristles and instead discloses a device that utilizes sponges or scrubbing pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,467,438 to Ryman entitled “Bare Back Scrubber” discloses a wall mountable device having a scrub pad secured to a plate that is secured to a wall by a plurality of legs. The scrub pad is composed of polyester fibers. A removable cloth cover may be fitted over the scrub pad to aid in applying lotions or creams. Thus, Ryman does not disclose the use of elastic cables to attach the scrub pad to a door, and Ryman only discloses the use of the scrub pad in a shower or bathtub.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,018 to Glaser et al. entitled “Wall-Mountable Back Brush” discloses a back brush having a plurality of bristles on a front surface and that can be attached to a wall by means of suction cups. The back brush is elongated and has a curvature between the top and bottom ends such that the back brush fits the lumbar region of a person's body. Therefore, Glaser et al. does not describe a wall mountable back brush having grooves and removable nodules that can be used to massage a user's back.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. Several devices known in the prior art describe wall mountable back brushes for use only in a shower. However, many users may desire to position a back brush in a bedroom or similar area. Further, the devices do not disclose the use of elastic cables to attach the back brush to a door, and instead generally rely on suction cups for attachment to various surfaces. Suctions cups may not be appropriate for mounting the back brush on a door which may have a variety of indentations and other stylistic carvings or grooves. Additionally, the devices known in the prior art do not disclose nodules on the back brush that the user can press against in order to massage the user's back or to otherwise release muscle tension. Furthermore, the devices in the prior art are not adapted to be rolled-up for storage or travel and placed within a cylindrical sheath.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing wall-mounted brush devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.